Wildlife of Algeria
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The wildlife of Algeria is composed of its flora and fauna. Mountainous, chotts, wetlands and grassy desert-like regions all support a wide range of wildlife. The most commonly seen animals include the wild boars, jackals, and gazelles, although it is not uncommon to spot fennecs and jerboas. Leopard and cheetah are seldom seen.
A variety of bird species make the country an attraction for bird watchers. Barbary macaques are the sole native monkey.
Flora[]
In the north, some of the native flora includes Algerian oak, Atlas cedar, and other conifers.[2] The grape vine is indigenous to the coast. In the Sahara region, some oases have date palms. Acacia with wild olives are the predominant flora in the remainder of the Sahara.
Fauna[]
Mammals[]
There are 104 mammal species in Algeria, of which three are critically endangered, two are endangered, ten are vulnerable, and three are near-threatened. One of the species listed for Algeria is extinct and one can no longer be found in the wild.
- Atlantic spotted dolphin
- Caracal
- Common dolphin
- Rough-toothed dolphin
- Orca
- Pilot whale
- Pygmy killer whale
Birds[]
- North African ostrich
- Guinea fowl
- Egyptian vulture
- Golden eagle
- Bonelli's eagle
- Griffon vulture
- Loons
- Grebes
- Great crested grebe
- Little grebe
- European turtle dove
- Shearwaters
- Black stork
- White stork
- Petrels
- Storm-petrels
- Pelicans
- Gannets
- Cormorant
- Bitterns
- Herons
- Egrets
- Storks
- Ibises
- Spoonbills
- Flamingos
- Ducks
- Geese
- Swans
- Osprey
- Hawks
- Kites
- Eagles
- Caracaras
- Falcon
- Pheasant
- Partridge
- Buttonquail
- Crane
- Rails
- Crakes
- Coots
- Arabian bustard
- Oystercatchers
- Avocet
- Stilt
- Thick-knee
- Pratincole
- Courser
- Plover
- Lapwing
- Sandpiper
- Skuas
- Jaegers
- Gulls
- Terns
- Auks
- Murres
- Puffins
- Sandgrouse
- Pigeons
- Doves
- Cuckoos
- Great spotted woodpecker
- Eurasian wryneck
- Ani
- Barn owls
- Typical owls
- Nightjars
- Swifts
- Kingfishers
- Bee-eaters
- Starling
Reptiles[]
- Algerian sand racer
- Bedriaga's fringe-fingered lizard
- Desert monitor
- Mediterranean chameleon
- Mediterranean house gecko
- Moorish gecko
- Iberian wall lizard
- Red-tailed spiny-footed lizard
- Saharan spiny-tailed lizard
- Two-fingered skink
- Small three-toed skink
- Small-spotted lizard
- Egyptian sand boa
- Muller's sand boa
- Boomslang
- Egyptian cobra
- Erycinae
- False smooth snake
- Southern smooth snake
- Horned desert viper
- Lataste's viper
- Sahara sand viper
- Saw-scaled viper
- Viperine water snake
- Greek tortoise
- European pond terrapin
- Leatherback turtle
- Loggerhead sea turtle
- Nile crocodile (extinct in the wild)
Amphibians[]
- Brongersma's toad
- Common toad
- European green toad
- Mediterranean tree frog
- Perez's frog
- Sahara frog
- Algerian ribbed newt
- Edough ribbed newt
- North African fire salamander
Fish[]
- Atlantic bluefin tuna
- Atlantic blue marlin
- Atlantic white marlin
- European eel
- Angular roughshark
- Basking shark
- Bignose shark
- Blacktip shark
- Blacktip reef shark
- Bluntnose sixgill shark
- Bramble shark
- Dusky shark
- Great hammerhead
- Great white shark
- Grey nurse shark
- Gulper shark
- Kitefin shark
- Porbeagle
- Sandbar shark
- Scalloped hammerhead
- Sharpnose sevengill shark
- Shortfin mako
- Spinner shark
- Velvet belly lantern shark
Insects[]
- Acilius duvergeri
- Calopteryx exul
- Chalepoxenus brunneus
- Desert locust
- Epimyrma africana
- Epimyrma algeriana
- Honey bee
- Monomorium noualhieri
- Onychogomphus costae
- Pharaoh ant
- Red locust
- Strongylognathus afer
- Strongylognathus foreli
Other invertebrates[]
- Brine shrimp
- Common octopus
- Fat-tailed scorpion
Prehistoric period[]
Prehistoric mammals[]
- Agriotherium
- Albanosmilus
- Anancus
- Archaeobelodon
- Barytherium
- Basilosaurus
- Deinotherium
- Dinofelis
- Dorudon
- Dryopithecus
- Ginsburgsmilus
- Gomphotherium
- Hipparion
- Homotherium
- Hyaenodon
- Ictitherium
- Indarctos
- Kanuites
- Machairodus
- Megantereon
- Miomachairodus
- Moeritherium
- Palaeomastodon
- Pelorovis
- Platybelodon
- Prolibytherium
- Propliopithecus
- Prosansanosmilus
- Protocetus
- Ramapithecus
- Samotherium
- Sansanosmilus
- Sivapithecus
- Sivatherium
- Stegodon
- Therailurus
- Ursavus
- Ursus etruscus
Dinosaurs[]
- Brachiosaurus
- Carcharodontosaurus
- Spinosaurus
Prehistoric reptiles[]
References[]
- ^ Black, S. A.; Fellous, A.; Yamaguchi, N.; Roberts, D. L. (2013). "Examining the Extinction of the Barbary Lion and Its Implications for Felid Conservation". PLOS ONE. 8 (4): e60174. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...860174B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060174. PMC 3616087. PMID 23573239.
- ^ National Audubon Society (2009). Field Guide to African Wildlife. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 43–44. ISBN 978-0-679-43234-0.
- Biota of Algeria
- Wildlife by country